Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 December 1940 — Page 1

\ SCRIPPS ~ HOWARD §

12Known Dead, 8 Others Are Injured in Ci

The India

FORECAST: Fair and somewhat colder tonight, with lowest temperature about 20 degrees; tomorrow increasing cdeudingss with sowiy rising temperature.

VOLUME 52—NUMBER 241

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1840

Limes

HITLER FORCES LAVAL'S

BLAST LEAVES 2 BUILDINGS IN MASS OF RUINS

Many Term Rescue ‘an Act of God.’

CINCINNATI, O., Dec. 17| £8

'(U. P.).—Firemen and police dug carefully among the ruins of two three-story brick buildings today in search of the bodies of victims of a terrific explosion which reduced the adjoining structures to shambles. At least 12 persons were known dead in the aftermath of the blast believed to have been a gas explosion. The exact cause was undetermined. Eight percons

were injured, none seriously. The store-tenement buildings were located in the downtown market district. The. explosion at 2:25 a. m. (Indianapolis Time) shook buildings as far away as a

mile from the scene. Many windows |

in nearby structures were shattered and utility poles snapped.

Investigate Acid Theory

Raymond Roy, who escaped serious injury with his wife and four children, reported to police that “somebody had been fooling with agid” in the basement of one of the wrecked buildings. This. informa-. tion was investigated as a possible clue to the origin of the. explosion. The 1 Dodies recare identified Dor: Sait; oS ana Joseph P. Koébbe, 33, puoppietor.-of an appliance shop = oie of the buildings. Others killed were: » FRANK SCHNETZER, 3. HELEN SCHNETZER, 10; CARRIE SCHNETZER, 22, and LEONARD SCHNETZER, 9. JACK MORGAN, 28. FREIDA MORGAN, 23, his wife. The first nine persons to be rescued were taken to a hospital where their injuries were reported to be minor.

Fall ‘Into Wreckage

The blast tumbled many sleeping tenants of the two buildings to the ground two and three stories below in a mass of steel girders, bricks and other wreckage. The impact of the explosion blew debris against the walls of a market House across the street. Utility poles were toppled and

telephone service in the neighbor--

hood was disrupted. Two-year-old Patsy Roy was the first to be removed from the wreckage. She was crying, but suffered only a few cuts and bruises. Her father stumbled out of the ruins right after her and. immediately implored the first rescuers on the scene to get Bessie, his wife. Mrs. Roy was extricated 30 minutes later.

Called ‘Act of God Mr. Roy said his family was asleep on the third floor. They did not hear the blast. “The first we knew was when our bed fell to the basement. We didn’t even fall out of it. But the nricks fell down on us. It was a miracle we weren’t killed,” he said before his wife was saved. “If Bessie comes out of there alive, how can people say there isn’t a God?” Cranes were sent to the scene to help remove the tons of wreckage. Firemen tried to dig “tunnels” to reach the persons still trapped.

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

Mrs. Ferguson 2 Music Obituaries . Pegler Questions ... Radio v.31 Mrs. Roosevelt 11 Santa’s Secrets 18 Serial Story.. 20 Side Glances. 12 Society .. 14, 15 5|Sports ... 16, 17

Clapper ..... 1 Comics ...... 20 . Crossword ... ‘18

eeyvee

aoe 18

pls... Inside. Indpls, i Jane Jordad., . Johnson ‘Ti.+" 3 Movies - 8

~~ TABLE REVOLUTION—

‘Here is news that affects every medl you eat. It is gocd news — a ’peacetul revolution that will make you and your family healthier. Read the comprehensive story of the new defense flour by Jane Stafford, Science Service writer. The ‘second article of her series is on Page || today.

Entered as Seecond-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianapolis,

HOME |

FINAL

PRICE THREE CENTS

Ind,

incinnati Explosion

ELEASE

’

Removing a

Victim From

Blast Debris

Hubert Smith « » « Rescued from debris of biast-wrecked Cincinnati home.

‘VOTE MACHINES DEFECTIVE’: COX

Judge Says County Must ‘Rebuild Them, Buy New Ones, or Alter System.

By HARRY MORRISON Marion County’s voting machines are “mechanically defective” in totalling the votes cast, Circuit Judge Earl R. Cox charged today. He based’ his- statement on unof-

' | ficial recount returns which are to

be filed officially in his court at 10 a. m. tomorrow. Judge Cox said recounting of results ‘in 21 county contests, completed yesterday, “showed that four of five machines were defective,”

Three Actions Suggested

“Before the next election, Marion County will have to either purchase

- |all new machines, rebuild all the old

ones or go back to the paper ballot systém,” he said. “There is no reason to believe that many pther machines now in use will not prove defective at the next’ election.” He said one machine showed an apparent “error” of 400 votes in a legislature contest. He referred to the count for Emsley W. Johnson Jr., Republican, whose total in fhat precinct was only 46 votes while all other RePliblieans in that precinct received

“A discrepancy of 400 votes in most of the county contests this year would reverse the election results since the pluralities were less than that,” he said.

Cites Sexton Totals

On another machine, Judge Cox said, - Joseph Sexton, Democratic candidate for the State Senate who was defeated by 67 votes, ently lost 100 votes through defective mechanism.” The Recount Commissioners, however, were forced to take the actual total shown on the machine. The question of*what total to fix as the accurate figure will be determined by legal proceedings in Circuit Court tomorrow. Judge Cox said he will have an official statement to make regarding the machines during the hearing. Official recount returns showed no (Continued on Page Seven)

DRIVERS WARNED ON | | AUTO TAG DEADLINE

State to Begin Arrests on Jan. 1, Stiver Says.

A warning that State Police would arrest motorists found driving with

6/1940 license plates after the expir-

ation of the Dec. 31 deadline for purchasing the new tags was issued today. by Don PF. Stiver, superintendent. His warning came after the Connersville City Council adopted a

ment of the Dec. 31 deaflline® and | voicing Suppor for any leniency that might be shown to tardy mo-| torists by the city police.

in effect, as it*seems very sure te be, we will start enforcement the next day,” Mr. Stiver said. Persons found with 1940 tags after the deadline may be founc guilty of a misdemeanor and fined a mini- | mum of $1 and cotirt costs.

1400 STRIKE AT BRIGGS

DETROIT, Dec. 17 (U. P.).—Approximately 1400 employees of the Briggs Manufacturing Co. Vernor plant walked out today after union officials expressed dissatisfaction at nsie

“appar= |

resolution protesting the enforce-

ir the Dec. 31 deadline is kept:

934 Clothed

But Many ‘Others Need Your Help, Too; $10,000 Spent.

(Donors List, Page 3; Radio Feature, Page 11)

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES Clothe-A-Child campaign moved closer to the 1000-mark today with 934 youngsters - already clothed. “This total will increase

rapidly this week with - the ..clothing- of 4.

large groups by industrial concerns and by The Times shopping on the basis of Mile-Of-Dimes funds. It is already estimated that a total of more than $10,000 has been spent in the clothing of the children cared for. The Clothe-A-Child operation is simple. There are thousands of children in Indianapolis who need warm clothing desperately. Public school officials believe that

inadequate clothing is responsible

for keeping hundreds of them out (classes in eold weather. Oo Times, co-operating with the schools and social service agencies, has thousands of names of checked and approved cases. Individuals can either clothe a child personally, or ®an contribute the funds and The Times will do. it for them without charge. Every penny contributed is spent on the child. Clothe-A-Child operates from its own office in The Times’ building, with entrance at 44 S. Capitol Ave. The telephone number is Riley 5551.

ASKS LICENSES OF FOUR BE REVOKED

Business Bureau Files Pleas With Medical Board.

Revocation of the licenses of one drugless physician and three physicians because of alleged practices constituting gross immorality was asked in petitions filed today with the State Medical Board by Toner M. Overley, manager of the Better Business Bureau. The: four against whom the petitions were filed are J, R. Scherer, 411 State Life Building; Dr. Robert B. McAlpin, Greenwood; Dr. Madge Louise Patton Stephens, Terre (Continued on Page Seven)

TRAFFIC BENCH POLITICAL PLUM

Municipal Judgeship Viewed As Way to Gain Friends For Party.

(This is the fourth of a series discussing Indianapolis traffic

soutls and their ir operation. )

By RICHARD LEWIS Sl h on the list of political patronage prizes the ‘municipal judgeship. It is considered one of the party's most effective approaches to the political game of making friends and more friends. For the municipal court ‘is the “people’s court”—the court of folks in trouble. There, the municipal judge, with wide discretionary powers, can fend freely for his party. He may waive the procedure of the higher courts which at most is only thinly adhered to. For the most part, his decisions are based on his own judgment, independent of legal technicalities. In this kind of a folksy and po-litically-dominated tribunal, the battle for traffic safety on Indianapolis streets may be won or lost. This court of small-fry crime, brawls and petty delinquencies is also the traffic court. Alongside the miscellaneous peace violations arising out of the association of 400,000 people, more than

1000 traffic cases flow through the

municipal court a week. Although . the traffic cases. bear (Continued on Page Three)

It's 70 Below in Alaskan Village

FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 17 (U. P.).—Last week Fairbanks was in the midst of a hot spell, with

the thermometer registering 34 degrees above zero. Today the mercury dropped to 38 below and outside construction work at Ladd Field Army air base was halted. At the village of Beaver the temperature was 70 below.

WOMAN TO DIE AS SPY

LONDON, Dec. 17 (U. P.).—The first woman sentenced to death in Britain for espionage since the start of the war was announced today ‘as Dorothy Pamela O’Grady, 42, described as a housewife.

By ERNIE PYLE

ABOARD S. S. EXETER.—Much to my surprise, we stopped at Bermuda on this voyage to Lishon.. We arrived there the second day after leaving New York, and stayed 24 hours. :

All the British passengers went ashore.

. But the authorities

wouldn|t let George Lait (the other newspaperman) and me off the

boat. because we didn’t have a Bermuda visa on our passports. We

and Scottish-like caps that hang

didn’t have ong because we didn’t know we were going to stop at Bermuda. But George and I didn’t care. We didn’t especially want to go ashore. When I come to Bermuda I want to come on vacation, and this trip ceriainly isn't vacation.

We were tied up at the dock

right alongside the main street

of Hamilton. People kept strolling along looking at us. We

_ spent most of our day sitting on

deck talking, and staring back at the people on shore. nice and warm jn Bermuda. On the pier were two or three soldiers, patrolling back and forth. They wore khaki tropical shorts, showing their bare knees, over one ear. When we sailed, a

Negro pilot in uniform went to the bridge, and took the ship clear beyond the easternmost tip of the islands before getting off. ~ We sailed for two hours in wide-open water, yet, actually in a figurative canal marked on both, sides. by. frequent buoys. We assume

SAFETY BOARD 0. KS TEST OF PARK METERS

Keach to Call Conference on : Details; Co-ordination of Campaigns Sought.

The Safety Board today agreed to give meters a ‘genuine’ trial in Indianapolis and took the initiative toward co-ordination of citizen safety organizations now independent of each

other.

In agreeing to the parking meter trial, the Board accepted a formal recommendation for the step from the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Safety Committee and board of directors. LeRoy J. Keach; Safety Board president, said he would make immediate plans for a meeting of

members of the City Council, the Works Board, the City legal de-

| partment, Police Chief Michael 'F.

Morrissey, and the Chamber Safety Committee to work out details for the meter trial.

Council Must Act

The Safety Board's acceptance of the proposal, it pointed out, is subject to the co-operation of the Works Board and the City Council, both legal prerequisites to the intallation. This co-operation would include (1) approval by both bodies and (2) action to obtain local legislation to authorize the installation. Hylan H. Bopk. chamber execuce 0..presented | e proposal, Sigens. members: “The Chamber is in earnest in proposing a parking meter trial, and feels that it should be a genuine trial to determine whether parking meters are acceptable and whether they will improve the handling of traffic in the meter area.”

Test Area to Be Chosen

The Safety Board asked Mr. Book and his organization to share with the Board the responsibility of selecting the particular make of meter to be used for the trial. Mr. Book accepted. At the January joint meeting of City fod Chamber officials to discuss the trial, the test area and types of machines will be selected. A statement by Mr. Book that “we are for any step that will improve traffic here,” intended to close today’s meter discussion, prompted the proposal of Mr. Keach to co-ordi-(Continued on Page Seven)

WARMER WEATHER HEADED THIS WAY

Due Tomorrow, After Drop To 20 Tonight.

LOCAL TEMPERATURES 6a.m. ....3 10am. .... 31 7am ....30 11am. .... 32 «.... 30 12 (noon) .. 32 . 31 1pm. .... 33 is | ‘Temperatures ‘may drop to around 20: tonight, the Weather Bureau predicted today. Tomorrow will be creasingly cloudy with slowly temperature, it added. coldest in the last 24 hours 29 at 5 a. m. today, a little higher than had been expected. Nevertheless there were, freezing rains late last night that made driving hazardous and some thin ice was

It was -

{on the highways this morning.

WHILE IN THIS “canal” Santa Paula,

parking | §

$1,500,000 Song

Bing Crosby . . . three pictures a year for three years.

_ HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 17 (U. P.). —Bing Crosby: today became the undisputed maharajah of the movies with a new contract assuring him of more than $500,000 a year for three years, exclusive of his radio earnings. Mr. Crosby's agents said the actor-singer had signed with Paramount Studio for three more years. His contract calls for three pictures a year at $175,000 each. In addition Mr. Crosby has.an estimated $60,000 yearly income from recording royalities and $200,000 a year from the radio, based on $5000 a broadcast.

WILLIAM HUSE

DIES IN CRASH

Car Skids on ley Road 52, Strikes Bridge; R. S. Page, “=Driver, ts Hurt. -

William Murray Huse, Indianapolis’real estate broker, was killed today when the automobile in which he was riding skidded on the icy pavement and overturned nine miles south of Lebanon on Road 52. He was 46. Richard S. Page, Indianapolis, president of the Indiana Bonding & Security Co., who was driving the car, escaped with only slight injuries. He was taken to a hospital in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the 1940 Marion County traffic toll mounted to 139 with the death last night of John Phillips, 1660 Kessler Blvd. He was Struck by a car driven by L. H. Trotter, 493¢ W. 15th St., while walking on Kessler Blvd. ; Mr. Huse, who had been in the real estate business here for 28 years, was en route to Rensselaer with Mr. Page to appraise some real estate when the accident occured about 9:30 a. m. State Police said the car skidded on some ice at a curve, throwing it into a concrete bridge abutment. The car overturned into a deep ditch, pinning Mr. Huse. in the (Continued on Page Séven)

PEACE FEELERS BY GERMANY CLAIMED

- LONDON, Dec. 17 (U.P.).—Lord Snell, Deputy Government leader, told the House -of Lords today that Germany has put forward a number of vague peace feelers since outbreak of the war. - He said that Germany repeatedly had suggested that she was willing to maintain good relations with Britain provided she had a free hand in Europe.

STOCKS SLIP DOWN NEW YORK, Dec. 17 (U. P.).—An attempt to rally stocks failed today and prices slipped lower. Traders were uneasy over the French situation.

[Ships Bristling With Guns Bring War Closer to Ernie|

we met the Grace Line's big steam coming in from South America. A le oe - and apparently they didn’t want to try passing

high wind was blowing in this narrow lane of

safety. So a big tug had come out from shore, hooked Santa Paula’s bow, and held her against the wind off Me toe

the “canal” until we passed. of ships, It was a British convoy, making up. group, about 25 in another.

At the eastern tip-of Bermuda we came upon two large

groups

scattered around just a few hundred yards from each other.

There were about 15 ships in one

Some of the ships were starting to get under way. ‘I guess there’s no harm in felling it now. because by the time this is published they will have reached their destination (if they're ever going to).

Some of them were big ships, but most were small. They were

all painted black, with a sickly brown superstructure.

deep in the water, heavily loaded.

They all lay

We passed -closely alongside several. Two of them had deck loads .of lumber. Some were tankers. One, in the distance, had a deck load of what looked like airplane fuselages. ‘We didn't see any escort warships, but there were probably some

over the horizon. Every ship had a gun on the

, and some

also had an anti-aircraft gun and a chute for dumping depth charges.

They all lay within cover.of the big concrete gun emplacements on shore, and a British seaplane scouted overhead. It made the war

seem awfully close.

- Except for these, we have seen only three ships so far. The first morning out, abouf breakfast time, a ship came out of the mist and

ned past us toward New York.

It flew the Italian flag.:

"And today, far out of Bermuda, we passed a lone ship on the hofizon, too. far to tell what it was. When you see a lone ship an the

ocean now, y you feol afraid for it. this :

we met,

- {Treasury Henry Morgenthau

NEARER

(Copyright. 1940,

disclosed today.

Fuehrer’s Ambassadorial

“collaboration,” possibly even

sub-machine guns) to Vichy

the fighting fronts.

BRITISH CRISIS NEARING™-HULL

F. D. R. Studies Pleas for Financial Aid in View Of Grave Warning.

By LYLE C. WILSON United Press Staff Correspond:nt WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.—President Roosevelt today studied British requests for American financial assistance, involving possible maneuvers for constant replenishment of Britain's dollar exchange, loans or outright gifts of cash. That problem appeared more urgent in the light of a disclosure that Secretary of State Cordell Hull has informed officials, including.the President, that Britain probably will

| face a crisis in the first six months

of next year unless the United States steps up its deliveries of war materials. This followed similar British expressions. Mr. Roosevelt, who conferred with Hull yesterday, met today with Jesse H. Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Federal Lending Administrator, and had a luncheon engagement with Secretary of ihe r., who has gone over the British financial requirements with British Treasury officials. Secretary Morgenthau earlier today told a House Appropriations Committee that the British Treasury officials say their nation cannot order any more war supplies in the (Continued on Page Three)

{ DEAD, 5 TRAPPED IN MINE EXPLOSION

Fear Death Toll to Grow; - Six: Injured. -

BECKLEY, W. Va, Dec. 17 (U. P.).—An explosion believed to have

~ One man, W. M. Kirk, was taken from the mine dead. Early reports stated that ab least

laration of war on Great Britain. The visit of Abetz (surrounded by ‘German soldiers with

BRITISH DRIVING

BARDIA;

BOMB RUHR (IY

by United Press)

Aged Marshal Henri Philippe Petain bitterly accused his Vice-Premier, Pierre Laval, of attempting to seize power in defeated France and then forced Laval to write his own resignation in the, presence of the French Cabinet at Vichy last Friday, United Press advices from Europe

By JOE ALEX MORRIS

United Press Foreign Adolf Hitler moved swiftly and forcefully into the mysterious governmental eruption in defeated France today, while Britain’s desert armies pounded at the Italian base of Bardia and British bombers blasted German targets at Mannheim, Bordeaux and the French invasion ports. In the crowded little French capital of Vichy, the representative, brought about the release from confinement of ousted VicePremier Pierre Laval and conferred with Marshal Henri Philippe Petain on how France would carry on collaboration with the Nazi “new order” in Europe. Laval has been a leading exponent on Franco-German

News Editor

Otto Abetz,

to the extent of.a French dec-

’

and the unsolved mystery of '

France’s future role in the war overshadowed the news from

Laval’s release was accompanied by a revealing Nagi statement in Berlin which expressed “extraordinary inter -}est” in Laval’s dismissal sind a-detérnsination te “‘examinethe motives” behind the week-end drama in which he was sues ceeded as Foreign Minister by Pierre Etienne Flandin. Nazis said that the events raised the question whether or not France will “continue the European policy” The “European policy" is a German euphemism employed to describe

Hitler's concept of a Nazidominated European order. Laval had bent his efforts toward securing for France a major position in that order and the German statement seemed to hint at doubts that the Vichy Government, minus Laval, would continue this policy. Other developments today ine cluded:

Talk Offensive in Ethiopia British troops, continuing their

three more important frontier forts in Libya. 3 * British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned again that a cau= Mtious atitude should be taken toe ward the North African offensive, but he remarked confidently that although Britain did not celebrate many big victories in the World War most people were satisfied with its outcome.

Air War Furious

There was a hint that the British soon "would take the offensive against Italy in Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland as a result of the suc cessful offensive’ in North Africa. The usually authoritative British Press Association said that such an offensive might be undertaken on a large scale, presumably in an effort to determine whether Italy could be knocked out of the war. The Greek Army captured Mount Skivovik, four miles northeast of ‘Chimara on the Adriatic Coast, and repulsed seven Italian counter« attacks. Athens did not, however, confirm the report of the. ca ure of Tepelini and Chimara, cir on the Jugoslav. border Struga, Jugoslavia. Long

(Continued on Page Three)

41f the ltalians are wholly

blitzkrieg in North Africa, captured